August 30, 2020

I had gotten into beta access for a new Path of Exile league along with an extra invite. I ended up giving the invite to a friend through their website along with an item I thought would work well with the new mechanics.

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I got into the back of the minivan and chose the seat behind the driver. “Hey, that’s my seat”, she said as she stood in the doorway behind me. I quickly apologized before getting up, intending to move back another row.

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We were gathered in the conference room because we had finally found a way to predictably call down the pod that had the ability to transport us to another world. This room was specifically chosen for its high altitude and proximity to a body of water which were prerequisites for the ritual.

After a few moments, a white spherical orb on a metal stand came crashing through the roof, smashing a whiteboard in the corner of the room.

I was volunteered to be the first to go into the portal. A small box filled with “essential” items arrived along with the pod, which included a bottle of olive oil and hand sanitizer. We were required to bring these things with us through the portal, but oil was leaking all over my hands from a hole in the bottle. I searched under the kitchen sink to see if there was another bottle I could carry with me to no avail. I resigned to having to go in with oily hands.

I found myself spending my days in a coastal mediterranean town. The others didn’t come in through the portal until several days later. During my time in the town, I heard stories from the locals about visitors who decided to settle here for good. Apparently after staying here for certain amount of time, it became impossible to go back home.